Alice Springham has worked as a maid in a top Boston hotel since she was a girl. But she is feeling restless. Not knowing what she wants she answers an advertisement in the Matrimonials that made her smile. She has no idea if it is love she is missing, or if she even wants to wed. Will she ever learn what it is she truly wants? Lonely farmer, Daniel Havering, longs for love and a family. He almost had everything he wanted, only to have it cruelly snatched away from him. When he advertised for a bride he thought he was past his hurts, but the past has a horrible tendency of turning up and making trouble all over again. Can he find the way to leave the past behind him, or will it haunt him forever and leave him lonely?
Anna Dawson thought she had the perfect man. She had the perfect life planned out with her perfect man. She was marrying the town’s most eligible bachelor. Until she wasn’t. Suddenly, on her wedding day, she’s spurned. What’s a girl to do but run away, her head tucked low in shame? Daniel West’s got a problem. His uncle’s will states that in order to inherit his own parents’ property, Daniel’s got to have a wife before his next birthday. Before his next birthday? There doesn’t seem to be time to find and woo a wife. Until his sisters concoct a plan involving placing an advertisement for a mail order bride. Seemed like a great idea at the time, but it seems Mother Nature has other plans. No sooner had Daniel collected his mail order bride than an earthquake struck and destroyed the town, sending the two into a head-spinning day of search and rescue. Among all the ravages inflicted on the town, can Daniel and Anna find what they are seeking and rescue their attempts to find love?
Mayme Galton has always felt a little like a fish out of water, not truly fitting in amongst the high society set her Uncle has tried to get her to enter into, nor being allowed to spend much time in Faith Creek where she would have been welcomed with open arms. Passionate and generous, she has spent much of her life trying to please everyone - including the parents who abandoned her. She wants her life to change and is prepared to take risks to make that happen, but will she ever find the love she craves, and deserves? Daniel Harris has devoted his life to God, serving others as a missionary, yet longs to have a family and a place to call home. Always prepared to go where he is directed, and do whatever others deem to be best, he begins to realise that he has no control over his own life. Love can change a man, of course, can make him act in crazy ways - but will it be enough to make him forgive himself for things that happened in his past?
It all started with an ad in a mail-order bride catalogue . . . This charming bouquet of novellas introduces you to four Hitching Post Mail-Order Bride Catalogue prospects in the year 1870, all eager for second chances . . . and hungry for happiness. Year in, year out, they’ll learn that love often comes in unexpected packages. “And then Came Spring” by Margaret Brownley Mary-Jo has traveled halfway across the country to meet her match, arriving just in time for his funeral. Returning home seems like her only option until her would-be brother-in-law proposes a more daring idea. “An Ever After Summer” by Debra Clopton Ellie had no idea she’s not what Matthew ordered. And what’s wrong with being a “Bible thumper” anyway? She’s determined to show him she’s tougher than she looks—and just the girl he needs. “Autumn’s Angel” by Robin Lee Hatcher Luvena would be perfect for Clay if she didn’t come with kids. But kids are a deal breaker, especially in a rough-and-trouble mining town. e trouble is, there’s no money to send them back . . . “Winter Wedding Bells” by Mary Connealy David’s convinced he’s not long for the world. He needs someone to mother his boys when he’s gone—nothing more. Can plucky Irish Megan convince him to work at living instead of dying?
What kind of woman would answer an advertisement and marry a stranger? Escape into the history of the American West along with nine couples whose relationships begin with advertisements for mail-order brides. Placing their dreams for new beginnings in the hands of a stranger, will each bride be disappointed, or will some find true love? Perfect for the Preacher by Megan Besing 1897, Indiana Fresh from seminary, Amos Lowry believes marriage will prove to his skeptical congregation that he’s mature. If only his mail-order bride wasn’t an ex-saloon girl, and worse, pregnant. The Outlaw’s Inconvenient Bride by Noelle Marchand 1881, Wyoming After a gang of outlaws uses a mail-order bride advertisement to trick an innocent woman into servitude, an undercover lawman must claim the bride—even if it puts his mission in jeopardy. Train Ride to Heartbreak by Donna Schlachter 1895, Train to California John Stewart needs a wife. Mary Johannson needs a home. On her way west, Mary falls in love with another. Now both must choose between commitment and true love. Mail-Order Proxy by Sherri Shackelford 1885, Montana A mail-order marriage by proxy goes wrong when a clerical error leads to the proxies actually being married instead of the siblings they were standing in for. In their quest to correct the mistake, the two discover outlaws, adventure, and even love. To Heal Thy Heart by Michelle Shocklee 1866, New Mexico When Phoebe Wagner answers a mail-order bride ad that states Confederate widows need not apply, she worries what Dr. Luke Preston will do when he learns her fiancé died wearing gray. Miss-Delivered Mail by Ann Shorey 1884, Washington Helena Erickson impulsively decides to take advantage of her brother’s deception and travels to Washington Territory in response to a proposal of marriage intended for someone else. How will Daniel McNabb respond when Helena is nothing like he expected? A Fairy-Tale Bride by Liz Tolsma 1867, Texas Nora Green doesn’t feel much like Cinderella when her mail-order groom stands her up. But could the mysterious jester from the town’s play be her Prince Charming? The Brigand and the Bride by Jennifer Uhlarik 1876, Arizona Jolie Hilliard weds a stranger to flee her outlaw family but discovers her groom is an escaped prisoner. Will she ever find happiness on the right side of the law? The Mail-Order Mistake by Kathleen Y’Barbo 1855, Texas Pinkerton detective Jeremiah Bingham is investigating a mail-order bride scam bankrupting potential grooms. When unsuspecting orphan May Conrad answers his false ad, she becomes the prime suspect in the case.
Eric Johnson’s real mail order bride shows up later than expected, and she quickly learns he is already married. Now Allie Jones is stuck in a small Colorado town with no way to leave. She must either marry the only suitable bachelor or risk being sold to the saloon’s owner to be one of the soiled doves. Seeing she has no real choice, she agrees to marry the bachelor. Rumored as being a monster by the people in town, Travis Martin is content to live alone, sheltered in the wooded area of the mountainside. The last thing he expects is a preacher when there’s a knock on the door. With great hesitation, he agrees to the marriage. He can’t confine such a beautiful young lady to the saloon, but he knows the marriage won’t be a happy one for her, not when she could have had someone so much better. So the best thing he can do is keep his distance and leave her alone. She, however, can't help but be intrigued by her new husband. Is he the ugly beast the people in town claim, or is there something beautiful worth loving just beneath the surface?
This Texan Had No Intention of Becoming a Groom... Until he found out he had a year to find a bride--or risk losing the family ranch. Any of the four mail-order brides recently arrived in Granite, Texas, would make a good wife. So why can't Levi Westland stop thinking about the one who refuses to have him? The marriage of convenience Levi offers isn't enough to persuade Millie Hamilton. Truth is, it's no longer enough for Levi, either.... Millie just needed a place to escape to. Now that she's paid Levi back his traveling expenses, she can forge her own way. If he knew the truth about her past, Levi's admiration would vanish. But the only thing harder than risking her heart may be watching Levi marry anyone but her.
Stand-In Wife Russ Halloway’s mail-order bride never boarded the bride train! In her place is recently widowed Anna Darby Linford, sister of the last woman to jilt Russ. He’s surprised to see Anna again—and stunned when he discovers she’s pregnant. Marrying Anna seems the right thing to do...especially since love continues to evade him. Anna hopes Russ will help her find employment—becoming a wife again never even crossed her mind. Yet as she struggles to start over in the small town, Anna forges a genuine connection with Russ. When secrets from her past threaten Russ’s future in politics, can they protect their family in the making?
A wild-and-crazy memoir about the author's trip to Beijing to help his black-sheep cousin receive an illegal kidney transplant, collect a mail-order bride, and restore East-West relations while they're at it.
In this steamy post-Civil War saga, the most stubborn woman headed for Texas meets her match in a mystery man with a dark past . . . and together, they must take down a common enemy. No woman on the wagon train trek to Texas was more alluring than Lydia Langston. No man was more rugged than Ross Coleman . . . and both were running from the past. Lydia once vowed that no man would ever take away her pride, while Ross Coleman has stayed true to his wife, who died giving birth to their son. But despite their challenges, Lydia and Ross now find themselves together, fighting the same enemy and the same dangerous emotions building inside them . . . and unable to stop the events that will eventually pit a man's deadly vengeance against the strength of a woman's love.
